Marine management, education, research and development

Maritime management includes the statutory bodies that have responsibility for the management, operation, and conservation of Scotland and England’s seas and coastlines for leisure, commercial and other uses.

As mentioned in the overview for the Productive chapter introduction of the Solway Review this section is populated with data and information from the Socio-economic Assessment’s for the Scottish (SEASS), and English Solway (SEAES), which are two separate projects completed in 2020. Text below will be predominantly directly from the SEASS or SEAES Reports but is altered at times. These reports are available here. These socio-economic reports were needed in light of the changing face of socio-economic aspects impacting the Solway Firth, and also for the purpose of populating the productive section of the Solway Review. Text from the SEASS and SEAES reports is not referenced individually.

Image; Kirkcudbright. © Solway Firth Partnership. Photographer; Kim Ayres

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Summary

At the regional level, Solway Firth Partnership plays a pivotal role in furthering the integrated and sustainable management of the Solway’s environmental, economic and community resources. However, while the Partnership works on both sides of the border, there are separate marine planning regimes for Scotland and England (albeit sharing common aims). The Scottish side of the Solway forms the Solway Marine Region, and the English side of the Solway forms part of the Marine Management Organisation’s North West Inshore Marine Plan Area.

Research on the Solway’s natural and historic marine and coastal environment is undertaken by a range of agencies and organisations, although largely based outside of the area. A recent example is the Scotland’s Coastal Heritage at Risk project, run by the SCAPE Trust (see Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage). Within the Solway Marine Region, the University of Glasgow’s Crichton Campus in Dumfries offers a range of courses focused on tourism, sustainable development and the environment.

The marine management, education, research and development sector is vital for the management of seas and coastline. However, given the diverse nature of the sector it is challenging to define and identify its economic value. Therefore, this section only considers the activities and does not attempt to quantify its economic contribution.

Image; Powillimount. © G. Reid/ Solway Firth Partnership

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Contribution to the Economy

The impact of marine management, education, and research and development organisations is challenging to quantify from official data sources due to the cross- cutting nature of many of the organisations.

The following section sets out the main organisations with a role in the management of the Scottish Solway.

Image; Portling looking across to England. © G. Reid/ Solway Firth Partnership

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Marine Management Organisations and Activities

Marine Scotland was established in 2009 to oversee the management of Scotland’s seas, including marine planning, licensing, enforcement, policy development, and scientific research and monitoring. It is a directorate of the Scottish Government, with its remit within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), generally out to 200 nautical miles from the coast. It operates a number of fisheries protection vessels and two aircraft.
The Marine Scotland fishery office with responsibility for the Solway region is in Ayr.
Marine Scotland is currently preparing an updated version of Scotland’s Marine Atlas which is due to be published in 2020.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 as Scotland’s environmental regulator. Its powers extend 3 nautical miles from the coast. SEPA’s responsibilities include River Basin Management Planning, reporting on bathing water quality, regulating water abstraction, monitoring pollution, Flood Risk Management including running a flood warning service.

In the Solway Marine Region, SEPA have offices in Newton Stewart and Dumfries.

NatureScot (previously Scottish Natural Heritage) is the agency which cares for and promotes Scotland’s natural heritage, and has responsibility for conservation designations. Its marine remit extends from the coast to the limits of territorial waters (12 nautical miles).

NatureScot operate offices in Dumfries, Newton Stewart and the Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve, which it manages. NatureScot also manages the Caerlaverock and Kirkconnell Flow National Nature Reserves in the region.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is a UK-wide body which advises on delivering national and international nature and conservation responsibilities, working closely with NatureScot.

Historic Environment Scotland was established in 2015 through the merging of Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). An executive agency of the Scottish Government, it has responsibility for designating, recording and conserving Scotland’s built heritage. The organisation collects, records and interprets information on Scotland’s maritime and coastal heritage. Historic sites managed by the organisation are detailed in the Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage section.

Crown Estate Scotland is a devolved public body which is one of the largest property managers in Scotland. It manages more than half of the country’s foreshore, and virtually all of Scotland’s seabed to the 12 nautical mile limit. However, some parts of the Solway foreshore are in private ownership.

The Northern Lighthouse Board is a non-departmental public body which oversees lighthouses and navigational lights in Scotland and the Isle of Man. The Board are responsible for a number of lighthouses in the Solway region, including Mull of Galloway, Corsewall, and Crammag Head, as well as smaller navigational lights at Loch Ryan, Hestan Island and Little Ross. There is some more information on Scottish Solway lighthouses in the Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage section.

In line with other local authorities, Dumfries & Galloway Council have planning responsibility on land down to the Mean Low Water Spring mark.

First established in 1994, Solway Firth Partnership is a registered charity which works to support a vibrant and sustainable local economy while respecting, protecting and celebrating the distinctive character, heritage and natural features of the Solway marine and coastal environment. Its remit extends to both sides of the Solway Firth, with Partnership staff based in Dumfries. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the Solway, and the Partnership is governed by a board of trustees which includes representation from each of the local authorities on the Solway coast.

The Galloway Static Gear Fishermen’s Association represents those who fish for lobsters and whelks around the Galloway coast. Its activity has included lobbying politicians and agencies on behalf of its members, and negotiating with other parts of the fisheries sector to minimise disruption to each other’s activities. The Association has worked with Solway Firth Partnership and local scallop fishermen to develop and promote a voluntary code of conduct, encouraging communication between fishermen to avoid static gear being accidentally lifted by scallopers.

The West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group covers the Clyde, Argyll, South West Scotland and west coast up to Cape Wrath. It is a non-statutory body which works with fishermen and public agencies to improve the management of Scotland’s inshore fisheries (i.e. within 6 nautical miles), and to advocate on behalf of inshore fishermen. A Solway sub-committee meets to discuss issues within the Solway Firth area.

A number of other public bodies have marine management roles in Scottish waters, including the Solway Marine Region. Oil and gas extraction is reserved to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Transport have responsibility for shipping, and the Ministry of Defence for military activity.

Image; Sign for Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve, Nature Scot (at the time was Scottish Natural Heritage). © G. Reid/ Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Research and Education

Marine Scotland Science has its principal marine laboratory in Aberdeen, although with a national remit. The unit carries out research and monitoring of Scotland’s aquatic environment and its flora and fauna.

The South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre is the local environmental records centre for South West Scotland, with two members of staff based in Kirkgunzeon near Dumfries. It holds over 750,000 species records, including for the marine and coastal environment, and offers a data enquiry service as well as supporting the development of local biodiversity action plans.

Marine education and research based within the Solway Marine Region itself is fairly limited. The Crichton Campus of the University of Glasgow in Dumfries does, however, offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on tourism and the environment, which can include a marine or coastal element. Universities elsewhere will also engage with the Solway marine environment around specific projects, such as Scotland’s Coastal Heritage at Risk project (see Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage) and the University of Glasgow Dumfries campus cockle research project.

Dumfries & Galloway College has campuses in Stranraer and Dumfries, and has a growing focus on skills for the renewables sector. Although this is around onshore renewables, there is potential for this to expand to marine renewables in future, particularly if there are further renewables developments in the Solway Firth (see Energy, aggregates, subsea cables, and pipelines).

Image; Stranraer Harbour. © Solway Firth Partnership. Photographer; Colin Tennant

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Regional Look Forward

Solway Firth Partnership was established in 1994 to promote and support the sustainable management of the Solway. Over that time, the partnership has brought together different users of the Solway’s waters and helped to manage conflicting demands, as well as worked to further knowledge, appreciation and engagement with the coast and marine environment.

The need for marine planning has not dissipated over that time, with various new challenges and opportunities emerging in the Solway. This has included the installation of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm, other potential energy projects, new environmental designations (such as the Special Area of Conservation in Luce Bay) and the ongoing threat of climate change and rising sea levels.

The introduction of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 has given the Scottish Government the authority to introduce statutory marine planning for Scotland’s seas, with the creation of a National Marine Plan and – ultimately – 11 regional plans, including one for the (Scottish) Solway Marine Region.

Image; Rainbow over the Solway. © G. Reid/ Solway Firth Partnership

Marine management, education, research and development

Scotland - Coastal Change

Please see the Coastal Change section for more information on coastal change.

Coasts are always changing – since the late 19^th century, data shows that parts of the Solway coast have advanced, other parts have been eroded, and some have not changed significantly. Coastal erosion and flooding can pose a threat to people and property at the coast. The key productive contribution of coastal protection and flood defence therefore relates to expenditure on coastal management schemes – preventative spend that helps protect people and property. This can involve hard defences, such as sea walls, and more modern approaches such as replenishing eroded beaches with sand, or managed retreat. The Dumfries and Galloway coastline has a small amount of artificial coastline.

Dumfries and Galloway Council are producing a new Shoreline Management Plan, which will establish a robust, evidence-based and long-term sustainable approach for managing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion along each part of the Dumfries and Galloway coast. This is expected to take two years to complete, from early 2020 (Dumfries and Galloway Council, n.d.).

SEPA has overall responsibility for flood forecasting, warning and risk management.

Image; Powfoot Defence. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Summary

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is the non-departmental public body with responsibility for licensing, regulating and planning marine activities in the seas around England so that they are carried out in a sustainable way. The MMO works closely with key partners, including Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs), and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. At the national level, there are a number of other bodies, agencies and groups that have a remit or interest in the marine environment.

At the regional level, marine planning is being developed by the MMO with the English Solway forming part of the North West Marine Plan Area.

Research on the Solway’s natural and historic marine and coastal environment is undertaken by a range of agencies and organisations, although largely based outside of the area. This includes activity undertaken within the remit of the Solway Coast AONB.

The marine management, education, research and development sector is vital for the management of seas and coastline. However, given the diverse nature of the sector it is challenging to define and identify its economic value. Therefore, this section only considers the activities undertaken, and does not quantify in detail its economic contribution.

Image; Siddick Coastal Cliff. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Contribution to the Economy

The impact of marine management, education, research and development organisations is challenging to quantify from official data sources due to the cross- cutting nature of many of the organisations and their activities.

Image; Beckfoot. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Marine Management Organisations and Activities

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) was established in 2010 to oversee the management of England’s seas, including marine planning, licensing and management, policy development, and environmental protection measures. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the UK Government, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It has a staff of around 300, headquartered in Newcastle. Its marine remit extends from mean high water springs to a maximum of 200 nautical miles.

The MMO has offices in the North West area in Whitehaven and Preston.

The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) is responsible for managing fisheries within 6 nautical miles from the shore within the North West marine region, and is one of ten such authorities in England.

The NWIFCA has an annual budget of around £1.3m, with two-thirds raised from a levy on local councils and the remainder from DEFRA. The authority enforces by-laws related to fishing, recreational sea angling, and cockle and mussel beds. It has two offices, one of which is on the Solway coast in Whitehaven, and five vessels. Overall, the NWIFCA has 22 staff across science, enforcement and administration roles.

Fisheries protection and enforcement beyond 6 nautical miles in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is handled by the Royal Navy’s Fisheries Protection Squadron. The squadron is based in Portsmouth and operates a number of patrol vessels.

Natural England (NE) is a non-departmental public body responsible for protecting and improving the natural heritage of England. It has responsibility for conservation designations. Its marine remit extends from the coast to the 12 nautical mile limit.

NE has offices in Cumbria in Penrith and Kendal. As well as designating National Nature Reserves (NNRS), NE also manage several of the NNRs in Cumbria close to the English Solway Coast including Finglandrigg Wood and Glasson Moss. A

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is a UK-wide body which advises on delivering national and international nature and conservation responsibilities, working closely with Natural England.

Historic England is an executive agency of the UK Government with responsibility for designating, recording and protecting built heritage and ancient monuments in England. The organisation collects, records and interprets information on maritime and coastal heritage. In 2015, management of historic sites was transferred to a new charitable trust, English Heritage, although ownership remained with the state – sites within the Solway region are included in the Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage section.

The Crown Estate is a semi-independent public body which manages land and property held by the sovereign in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2018, Scottish operations were devolved to a new body, Crown Estate Scotland. The Crown Estate’s marine holdings include more than half of the country’s foreshore, virtually all of the seabed to the 12 nautical mile limit, and the continental shelf and extraterritorial rights.

However, some parts of the Solway foreshore are in private ownership, including Silloth Bay and around St Bees Head.

Trinity House is the official authority for lighthouses in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. While independent, Trinity House is funded through light dues collected by the Department for Transport.

The authority is responsible for one lighthouse in the Solway region, at St Bees Head, and also oversees buoys and navigational aids.

Local authorities have planning responsibility down to the Mean Low Water Springs mark.

Solway Firth Partnership is a registered charity which works to support a vibrant and sustainable local economy while respecting, protecting and celebrating the distinctive character, heritage and natural features of the Solway marine and coastal environment. Its remit extends to both sides of the Solway Firth, with Partnership staff based in Dumfries. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the Solway, and the Partnership is governed by a board of trustees which includes representation from each of the local authorities on the Solway Coast.

A number of other public bodies have marine management roles in English waters, including within the Solway Firth portion of the North West Marine Plan Area. Oil and gas extraction is the responsibility of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Transport have responsibility for shipping, and the Ministry of Defence for military activity.

Image; Maryport beach and Lighthouse. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Research and Education

The Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre is the local environmental records centre for Cumbria, and is an independent initiative hosted by Tullie House Museum, based at their offices in Carlisle. It holds over 2.3 million species records, including for the marine and coastal environment, and offers a data enquiry service as well as supporting the development of guides, atlases and public information about plants, animals and habitats in Cumbria.

Marine education and research based within the Solway Firth portion of the North West Marine Plan Area is fairly limited. The University of Cumbria does, however, offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on tourism and the environment, which can include a marine or coastal element. These are largely delivered at its Ambleside campus, within the Lake District, although the university also has two campus’ in Carlisle and one in Workington.

Carlisle College and Lakes College West Cumbria, Workington do not have specific marine courses. However, both do offer a range of engineering courses that will provide students with skills that are transferable to other sectors, including the offshore energy sector. They also offer a range of hospitality courses which are important for serving the region’s tourism sector.

In addition, a specialist nuclear energy skills campus opened at Lakes College in February 2018, the National College for Nuclear. The Northern Hub of the National College for Nuclear has up to 300 students with subjects covering engineering, decommissioning, and power systems. The college works closely with the nearby Sellafield nuclear power station, further down the Cumbrian coast but outside of the Solway Firth.

Image; Waves at Workington. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Regional Look Forward

Solway Firth Partnership was established in 1994 to promote and support the sustainable management of the Solway. Since then, the partnership has brought together different users of the Solway’s waters and helped to manage conflicting demands, as well as worked to further knowledge, appreciation and engagement with the coast and marine environment.

The need for marine planning has not dissipated over that time, with various new challenges and opportunities emerging in the Solway. This has included the installation of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm, other potential energy projects, new environmental designations, and the ongoing threat of climate change and rising sea levels.

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 established the legal basis for marine planning in England. There will be a total of ten regional plans in England from eleven marine plan areas, with the English side of the Solway Firth included within the North West Marine Plan Area. The Draft North West Inshore and North West Offshore Marine Plan, which provides a framework that will shape and inform decisions over how the areas’ waters are developed, protected and improved over the next 20 years, went out for consultation in early 2020.

Image; Port Carlisle. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

England - Coastal Change

Please see the Coastal Change section for more information on coastal change.

Coasts are always changing – since the late 19^thcentury, data shows that parts of the Solway Coast have advanced, other parts have been eroded, and some have not changed significantly. Coastal erosion and flooding can pose a threat to people and property at the coast, as well as roads and infrastructure, such as the Cumbrian Coast railway. Cumbria is a particularly flood prone part of the country, with major recent flooding events in 2009, 2015 and 2020.

The key productive contribution of coastal protection and flood defence therefore relates to expenditure on coastal management schemes – preventative spend that helps protect people and property. This can involve hard defences, such as sea walls, and more modern approaches such as replenishing eroded beaches with sand, or managed retreat.

The North West and North Wales Coastal Group is comprised of local authorities, the Environment Agency and other organisations who manage the coastline from Great Orme’s Head in Wales to the border with Scotland at the Solway Firth. It produced a North West Shoreline Management Plan in 2010 that provided a ‘large-scale assessment of the risks associated with erosion and flooding at the coast’ (Halcrow Group Limited, 2010). The Plan highlights the importance of protecting key coastal settlements, while supporting a policy of natural evolution of the shoreline elsewhere – it is currently undergoing a refresh.

Initiated by the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, recognising the success of strategies in other areas, including Lancashire, the CCS is managed by Cumbria County Council. The County Council manages the CCS in its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority, supporting the five second tier Local Authorities in their role as Coast Protection Authorities for the coastline. A Project Review Group of local stakeholders has been formed to help identify issues and opportunities and contribute valuable knowledge to the development of the CCS. The CCS aims to:

• evaluate the risk of flooding and erosion along the Cumbrian coastline;
• identify properties and infrastructure at risk;
• identify and evaluate potential long-term solutions;
• form a robust and objective evidence base; and
• provide a framework for future infrastructure and development.

Cumbria County Council has appointed the consultants CH2M to undertake the development of the strategy (Cumbria County Council, n.d.).

The Environment Agency has overall responsibility for flood forecasting, warning and risk management in England.

Image; Cumbria Coastal Railway. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Marine management, education, research and development

References

Baxter, J.M., Boyd, I.L., Cox, M., Donald, A.E., Malcolm, S.J., Miles, H., Miller, B., Moffat, C.F., (Editors), (2011). Scotland’s Marine Atlas: Information for the national marine plan. Marine Scotland, Edinburgh. pp 191. Available here. (Accessed 22.07.19)

Colourful Coast (n.d.) Available here. (Accessed: 05.08.20)

Dynamic Coast, Scotland’s National Coastal Change Assessment (n.d.). Available here. (Accessed: 11.05.18)

Environment Agency (n.d.). Solway Tweed – Summary. Available here. (Accessed: 06.08.20)

Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2019) Marine Pressures-Activities Database. Available here. (Accessed: 05.08.20)

Marine Management Organisation (2020). Draft North West Inshore and North West Offshore Marine Plan. Available here. (Accessed: 05.08.20)

Marine Management Organisation. (n.d). Marine Planning Evidence Base. Available here. (Accessed: 14.05.18)

Marine Scotland (n.d.). Scotland’s National Marine Plan Interactive. Available here. (Accessed: 06.08.19)

Mills, F., Sheridan, S. and Brown S., (2017). Clyde Marine Region Assessment. Clyde Marine Planning Partnership. pp 231, Available here. (Accessed: 14.05.18)

Nature Scot (n.d.) National Scenic Areas. Available here. (Accessed: 03.09.20)

North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (n.d.) Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Office for National Statistics (Various) Annual Business Survey (ABS): custom data request from the ONS & Public data. Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Office for National Statistics (Various) Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Scottish Government (2019) Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2017 (SABS). Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Solway Firth Partnership (n.d.) Tidelines and other publications. Available here. (Accessed: 03.09.20)

Wallingford, H. R. (2005). Dumfries and Galloway Shoreline Management Plan Study: Stage 1, Volume 1, Report EX 4963 Rev 2.0 Available here. (Accessed: 19.07.19)

In-Text References;

Cumbria County Council (n.d.). Cumbria Coastal Strategy. Available here. (Accessed: 02.09.19)

Dumfries and Galloway Council (n.d.) Dumfries and Galloway Shoreline Management Plan. Available here. (Accessed: 02.09.20)

Marine Scotland (n.d.). Facts and Figures about Scotland’s sea area. Available here. (Accessed: 02.09.20)

Halcrow Group Limited (2010). North West & North Wales Coastal Group, North West England and North Wales, Shoreline Management Plan SMP2, Main SMP2 Document. Available here. (Accessed: 14.08.19)

Image; Flimby. © Solway Firth Partnership.